Pneumatic wheel.



ALBERT HERMAN SMIEH, OF TOPTON, YENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUIATIC WHEEL.

Specicatlon o! Letters'latent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Application led Dctober 11, 1911. Seriallo. 853,98#

To au 'whom t may concern.'

Be it knownthat I, ALBERT H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Topton, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved PneumaticWhe'el, of which the following is a full, clear, and/exact description.

My invention relates to pneumatic wheels, my more particular purpose being to provide a wheel of this kind embodying a number of separate mechanical features whereby its eiqciency is greatly increased.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this cation in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view, partly broken away and partly in elevation, showing my pneumatic wheel; Fig. 2 is a substantially central vertical section through the same; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Y

An axle is shown at 4 and in this instance is a driving or revoluble axle. It it provided with a head 5 which'may be integral with it. ,Encircling this axle is a hollow disk comprising van outer plate 6, an inner plate 6EL and a peripheral edge 7. Between flanges 13, 15 and the outer plate 6 and the inner plate 6 is a compartment 6b. part-ment is a spacing block 8 having, in this instance, the form of a short fiat spool, and used for the purpose of conferring rigidity and strength -upon the disk in question.

Disposed adjacent to the head 5 and'loose.

relatively theretois an outer plate 9 and an inner plate 10, these plates being provided respectively with annular portions 11, 12 each having an arcuate form in cross sec-y tion, as indicated in Fig. 3. The annular portions 11, 12 are provided respectively `with flanges 13 extending radially outward.

An annular rim 14vis provided with flanges 15@ integra-l therewith. Disposed between these annular flan s is a tire 16 which may be of rubber and 1s provided with a pair of wires17 extending through the tire in the general direction of its length and following lts general contour, being Veach thus of annular form. 'Bolts 18 extend through the thus hold the rim 14 in position relatively to the annular portions speci# Mounted within this com-` `The plate 1C is provided centrally with a large opening 22 and is thus of a general annular form. Mounted upon the plate 10 is a guide 23 having generally the form of a flat ring, its outer edge being bent slightly inward and secured against the adjacent surface of the plate 10 by aid of fastenings 24. The guide 23 is provided centrally with a large opening 25. Mounted rigidly u on the axle 4 and revoluble therewith is a risk 26 which extends between the guide 23 and the plate 10. This disk is loose relatively to the plate and guide last mentioned, so

'that the axle may move laterally in relation to the plates 9, 10.y The disk 26 also serves i to exclude dust and dirt from the inner tions of the wheel.

In assembling, the rim 14 is placedV between the annular portions 11, 12 of the porplates 9, 10 and assists in holdingthe annu-k lar cushion 19 in position. It will be noted that the edge 7 -is loose relative/ly to the plates 9, 10, and engages the portion of smallest diameter of the annular cushion 19. i The parts, are so constructed that the annular pneumatic member 19 is practically incased in instal and is strengtheneri and braced thereby both as against undue inlation and a'galnst punctures, blow-outs and the like. The amount ot'A air pressure which the pneumatic member 19 can stand when within the wheel, as above described, is enormous, being limited only by the strength of its surroundings which may be made of metal, preferably steel.

Inthe use of this wheel severe jolts and shocks, which arev often caused by the sudden and violent rebound of highly inated tires, are not experienced. Moreover, rim

cuts and the like which, ordinarily necessitate the inflation of a tire under considerable air pressure cannot occur with this wheel. As a consequence, the amount of air pressure to which the annular pneumatic cushion 19 is subjected may be so chosen as to bring about the easiest riding qualities,

this degree of inflation being all quired for any size load.

It will be noted that the' internal surface, that is, the portion of smallest diameter vof that is re- .the pneumatic cushion 19, by encircling the edge 7 of the disk carried by the axle, practically gives' the pneumatic cushion '19 a tread upon its inner surface rather than upon its outer surface.

rIhe parts above descril in a great measure of ali t; friction have little or notendency to overheat or to devulcanize the parts made of rubber.

The operation of my device is as fol- 1y` icing relieved .lowsz-The parts being made andl assembled as above described, and. theannular Vcushion 19 beinlg inflated, the weight of the axle 4 and part-s carried thereby rests directly upon the inner surface of the pneumatic cushion 19 and is thence transferred to the tire 16. `rIhe edge 7 of the disk carried by the axle t being loose relatively to the plates 9, 10, is free to move relatively to these plates and movement being the degree of compression which the annular cushion 19 can undergo. This cushion is not a tire in the true sense of the'word, and as it is 'protected `on allr pneumatic cushion said cushion having a valve tube projecting eXteriorly through one 0f said plates, and said last-mentioned plate having its-peripheral edge formed with a ange bent to tube.

f 2. In a pneumatic Wheel, the combination of an outer plate and an innerlate, said outer plate'and said inner plate being proto the tire 16, the limit of.

house and protect said valve vided with annular portions, an annular cushion disposed between 'said annular portions, a rimalso disposed intermediate said annular portions and engaging the outer periphery of said pneumatic cushion, a tire engaging'saidrim, a disk slidably mounted between said outerplate and said inner plate and provided with an edge engaging the inner periphery 'of said annular cushion, a revoluble shaft secured rigidl to said disk and movable in a lateral direction relatively to said outer plate and said inner plate said inner plate having meent-ral opening surrounding said shaft, a circular supplemental` plate secured at. its edge tosaid inner plate in spaced .l relation, and having a central opening surrounding the shaft, and a circular plate secured to and extending around the shaft andv projecting between the said inner plate and the said supplemental plate, for the-purpose described.

3. In a pneumatic wheel, the combination of an annular cushion, inner and outer-circular plates disposed upon opposite sides of said cushion and having annular enlargements adjacent their edges adapted to form a channel to'receive and support the said cushion, a rim securedbctween the peripheral edges of' said plates and disposed upon the outerperiphery of said cushion, a tire mounted in said rim, said outer plate consisting of a substantially unbroken web of material and said innerA plate having a central opening, a shaft having itsend-extending through the central opening of said inner plate, a circular disk secured upon said shaft and projecting between said inner and outer plates and having its peripheralv edge engaging the inner periphery of said cushion, a supplemental plate secured around its edge to the inner plate in spaced relation', and a plate secured to said shaft and pro- 'ccting between the said inner plate and the said supplemental plate, all for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specicationin the presence of two subscribing" witnesses.

.ALBERT HERlVIAN SMITH.

Witnesses: l.

C. HAROLD TREXLER,

MARY S. SMITH. 

